Why would Hashem create man and woman as one being — only to split them apart?

To understand what a marriage is, we have to go back to the very first one. Rabbi Klapper opens the season with a striking teaching: Adam HaRishon was created as a single being with two faces, man and woman fused as one, and only afterward separated into two bodies. Drawing on the Ramban and the Vilna Gaon, this episode reveals why Hashem did it this way — creating them as one so their bond would be completely natural, then splitting them so they could stand "opposite" each other, face to face.

What was once effortless connection now becomes a choice — and a lifetime of work. This is the foundation of everything: a couple isn't two strangers learning to fit together, but one soul rediscovering itself. Yet that raises a hard question the episode leaves us with: every person craves independence and hates to rely on anyone. So why did Hashem decide it is "not good" for a person to be alone?

Ready to see your marriage as something you were built for from the very beginning? This episode sets the foundation for the entire series.

Hosted by Rabbi Ari Klapper and produced by Eli Podcast Productions, this episode is part of the Real Judaism series, available on RealJudaism.org. Don't forget to subscribe and share to stay connected with our daily lessons and timeless Torah insights!